Flexible pocket receptacle



Aug- 27, 1945 R. E. DINGMAN FLEXIBLE POCKET RECEPTCLE Filed July 21, 1944 y12\ 'ffy f/ .INVENTOR BY i ATTORNES Patented Aug. 27, 1946 oFF-rcs .POCKET REEPEIIACVLE Robert TE. ,Dingma-n, Indiana, Pa. Y Application July 21, 1944, Serial No.154'5,932

This invention relates 'to an improved :flexible pocket receptacle or .walletadapted to contain bills, papers, letters, cards, stamps and the Zlike.

An object .of the invention is to providefin such a wallet or receptacle an out-.of-sight y.or secret pocket of new 4and particularly 1advantageous lconstruction to receive and contain .bills .oi large denomination and valuable papers so formed that when the Wallet is spread 'open neither the contents of 'said pocket nor .the pocket itself is visible.

Heretofore in walletsv having pockets intended to be concealed, `the inner members for walls oisuch pockets' have vlain completely Within the wallet and entirely `under some other layer .of material. Because'of their Awholly interior posi-A tion, such members or ywalls have `of necessity been Vmade o t an `extremely soft, pliable material or leather :different 'from the more .rigid material or leather of the main :members or walls.

Such vuse Aof material :different from that of vthe wallet `proper l.has :defeated the rend -sought ybe cause its presence is easily detected Land makes obvious an .additional compartment.. Also, vwhen papers .and vbills are Lplaced funder a ysoft wall., thelrbulkis readily :seen and zielt `through the material.

An object of this invention is :to provide in a wallet `a secret pocket :of such construction that t'heinner member, wall or panel :is partially exposed when `:the Ywallet zis unfolded to normal open position and whichconstruction permits the use Aof the same, more rigid, material of which the othermembers ofthe wallet .are made. Thus the defects mentioned above are eliminated, the pocket s rendered completely unobvious, leffectively concealed, andits contents, because of lthe semi-rigidity of the material, `cannot.bedetected through it. Y, l

Another Vobject is to yprovide such a secret pocket without adding substantially .to the bulk of the wallet.

An additional object is to provide a secret pocket construction that puts to more effective use the material and space that has 'hitherto been used in wallets forpurposes -of .lining the outer'or back wall thereof.

' .Another object is to provide such .a 4secret pocket which can be unobviously .made to open automatically and become'r instantly Vand easily accessible for the insertion or withdrawal Aof bills and papers. y

Other .objects .of the invention will appear yfrom the follow-ing description, Vreference being .made to the accompanyingdrawingin which 2 Claims. (Cl. 150-36) .Figure lis ran inner or .front side elevation showing the 4wallet in open v.position with Ithe secret pocket closed; I 1

Fig. 2 .a cross-sectional yviewon the line -2f.-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig.-3 'is a cross-sectional view Yon'fthe line 3-3 of Fig. `1:

Fig. i is a ,perspective view showing the wallet with the secret pocket ppen and exposed.; and

Fig. 5 is a v.cross-sectional View on the vline .5-5

of Fig, 1. f

Thewa'llet as shown ,in Figs. v1 to 5 inclusive is composed of flexible and resilient 'materialfsuch as semi-rigid -billfol'd .leather and comprises :an outer rectangularly-shaped wall I0 which foldable `on a vertical line midway between `the ends. The margin of wall 1I0 ris .skived trg-provide a narrow portion which is .folded inward .all aroundasshownat II.

Against the inner `side of 'Wall 1U andiunder its folded-over edge l'I two .separaterectan'gularlys shaped end :members I2 and I3 are laid with :their outer edges `even with the lines of folds respon:-A

tively onthe end edges of .wall yIt) and their lower Yedges :even with `line of fold on the lower .edge of wall I0. The :upper edge of member IE lies valong the :line of fold on the upper edge-of wall Hlibut about one-third of the :distance from :its outer end, the upper edge of member .I2 isY turned backwardand adhesively secured upon said member for `about .a quarter' Vof an inch so that the greater part of said Vupper edge is not included within yfoldecl-:mfer edge Il, 'The inner .edge of member I2 is .similarly folded backward .and adhesively secured upon said member to `give a neat finished iedge. Member I2, therefore; has axfree `'unbound inner corner` andside kwhich rmay be lifted and bent back. The upper yedge of member I 3 vcoincides with the line of fold on the upper erige of -Wall .I (i, while the inner edge of said mem ber .is turned back and :adhesively secured as with member 12.

As shown, additional exposed .pockets v'may be provided by superposing member I4 :on `member I2', member I5 yon member I3, and member I5 on member .I 5., all under the folded-over edge II. The youter` and lower edges of member td lie along the lines .of fold on the outer `and lower edges respectively of wall. I0. Member. I41 Amay be shaped as shown'narrower 'at the top than at the bottom, with its upper and inner edges yslight distances short of the corresponding edges. of member I2. The upper, sloping and inner edges of member .I 4 are tur-ned backward and adhesivel-y secured onsaidmember. n Y Y y I thus made to provide a window I'I for identiiication card, etc. The lower of the compartments is designed to be used for personal and, business cards; and, because its opening faces the line of fold of the wallet, rather than in any other direction, the cards are securely `locked in with-v out any danger of slipping out when the wallet is folded.

Member I8 is shaped as shown with its outer and lower edges coinciding with lines of fold on the outer and lower edges respectively of wall III. The inner edge of member I8 is skived and turned over the inner edge of member I5 and stitched as shown.

The out-of-sight or secret pocket is formed by means of member I 9 which is a panel of the same 'flexible-resilient,material such vas semi-rigid billfold leather as'the other members and which is superposed-on wall III and lies for part of yits length under member I3, The outer edge of member I9 lies along theline of fold on the outer edge of wall- I0. The upper and lower edges of member I9 lie along the lines of fold on the'upper and lower edges of wall I9 as far inward as the-turned inner edge of member I3; Member I9 crosses the portion of wall I9 exposed between members I2 and .I3 and is foldable on a vertical line to correspond with the line of fold of said wall I9. From the turnedV inner edge of member I3 inward, no part of member I9 is included within turned-over edge II on wall I9, and from that point on the upper and lower edges of member I9 extend merely up to the said turned-in edge II on wall I0. The in ner portion of member I9 is inserted between wall I and member I2 and is shaped as shown, being wider at the top than at the bottom with the upper corner rounded off'and its inner edge sloping to the center of wall IIJ. The sloped `inner edge of member I9 is accurately designed so that its curvature precisely coincides with the curve formed at the bend of` member I2 when the free inner corner of that member is lifted and bent back. The innermost extremity of member I9 reaches no further than the point at which the free part of the upper edge of member I2 terminates.

It will be seen that, since the inner portion of member, wall or panel I9 which conceals the mouth of the secret pocket has a ap formation precisely shaped, as above described, and is freely insertable between wall IU and especially constructed member I2, and, since the closure over themouth'of the secret pocket is exposed at'the interval between the members I2 and I3; that is, has no overlying layer of material where the fold of the wallet occurs, it is possible to make the wall or panel I9, comprising the inner wall of the secret pocket and forming the closure thereof of the same material as the other members of the wallet;

The several members having been positioned on wall I0 as indicated,y the skived edge II of said wall I 0 is folded aroundand over the adjacent edges or adjacent parts of edges of members I2, I3, III, I5, I8 and I9 and in the interval between the edges of members I2 and I3 over on wall I0 itself and stitched. Since, as noted, from the inner turned edge of member I3 inward, no part of member I9 is within turnedover edge Il on wall I0 and thus not included in the stitching, the inward part of member I9 is left as a. free unbound nap.

As a result of, the edge stitching, pockets or compartments are formed between wall I0 and member I2; member I2 and member I4; wall I0 and member I9; member I9 and member I3; member I3.and the upper part of member I5; memberl I3 and the lower part of member I5;

member I5 and member I8.

' When the wallet is opened up in normal position and its inner or front surfaces exposed, the existence of the pocket formed between wall IIJ and the rectangular bound-in portion of panel I9 is not apparent.' This, as will be seen, is becausel the opening'of said pocket is completely hidden by panel I9 whose true function is concealed because it is'visible at the interval between members I2 and I3 and because it is made of the same material as the restof theA wallet. Furthermore, panel I9 appears to be nothing more than .a facing for or part of outer wall III, since its upper and lower edges, unlike any other edge, are not'iinished or turned and lie along the respective turned-over and finished edges II of outer wall I0, and additionally because at the said interval panel I9zhasa vertical line of fold corresponding exactly to the line of fold cf outer wall I0. vThe improved construction ofthe wallet affords an additional advantage in that the secret pocket can bemade to operate automatically and access gained thereto bysimple but unobvious manipulation of the wallet. Thus, when it is desired to insert bills of large denomination or valuable papers therein, it is necessary only to open the wallet to the open position shown in Fig. 1, then to bendY the wallet back on itself, holding the thumb tight against vthe inner left side which holds the inner free portion orfree flap of member I9 in place. Upon release of the thumb, the said flap portion of member I9 springs out of position exposing the opening to the secret pocket and rendering it accessible. To close the secret pocket, it is necessary only to lift the free end of memberv I2 and insert the free ap portion of member I9 thereunder so that it returns to its normal position and com-v pletely closes and concealsl the secret pocket. Because the inner sloping edge of member I9 is accurately curved to precisely coincide with the curve formed at the bend of member I2, there is no undue distortion or buckling of the semirigid bill fold leather of members I9, l0 or I2.

The features of the wallets construction which result in the automatic operability of the secret pocket are the following: The secure binding in of panel or member I9 for over half of its length to the beginning of the vertical fold; the free flap formation of the remainder of member I 9; the shape of the inner or ap portion of member I9, tapering down from top to bottom with the accurate curvature of its inner edge; the coincidence of the vertical fold of said flap with the vertical median fold of wall I0; the limitation of the insertion between wall I0 and member I2 of said flap, even at its longest, to a distance not greater than two-thirds of the width of member I2, that is toa point short of where the upper 5 edge of member l2 is bound in by the turned-over edge Il of wall Ill, and the said flap at its shortest, to a point just under the inner edge of member I2; and the free upper inner corner of member I2.

Thus when the wallet is bent backward and held as above described, the greater Xed portion of member I9 tends to draw its lesser free iiap portion with it and the exposed part of said flap is arched upward in a direction opposite to its normal downward vertical fold- As a result, great tension is built up and when the thumb is released, since the flap is not fastened along the vertical line of fold and since the flap is not inserted far enough into the compartment between wall l and member l2 to permit a downward counter-stress on the free ap within the compartment, the said ap springs suddenly upward out of said compartment.

While the invention has been disclosed herein, in an embodiment at present preferred, for illustrative purposes it is obvious: that changes in construction, form and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A flexible pocket receptacle comprising an outer wall member having turned-over margins andfoldable vertically on a median line, a pocket wall member secured to said outer wall on one sidel of said median line with its outer, lower and part of its upper edges under said margins to form an inwardly and partially upwardly open 'having its outer portion secured to said outer wall Y member on theV other side of said median line With its outer and parts of its lower and upper edges under said margins to form an inwardly open pocket and having its inner unsecured portion extend across the space between the two pockets and into the first pocket for a distance not more than `two-thirds of the length of said first pocket, the said unsecured inner portion being longer at the top than at the bottom and its free inner edge sloping progressively downwardly and inwardly from top to bottom toward its'vertical line of fold'to a point just under the inner lower corner of the rst pocket.

2. A flexible pocket receptacle comprising an outer wall member foldable vertically on a median line, a pocket wall member secured to said outer wall on one side of said median line to form an inwardly and partially upwardly open pocket and a iiexible and resilient member, foldable coincidentally with said outer wall member, having its outer portion secured to said outer wall member on the other side of said median line to form an inwardly open pocket and having its inner unsecured portion extending across the space between the two pockets and into the first pocket, the said unsecured inner portion being longer at the top than at the bottom and its free inner edge convexly curving progressively downwardly and inwardly from top to bottom toward its vertical line of fold from a point adjacent the outward termination of upwardly open portion of the rst pocket to a point adjacent the inner lower corner of the first pocket.

ROBERT E. DINGMAN. 

